Badal asks people to oust Congress in LS polls

Begowal (Kapurthala): Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Monday asked people to teach Congress a lesson by routing it from the state in the next Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing a gathering here, he said Congress, which had ruled the country for over six decades, "is totally responsible for social maladies like poverty, inflation, corruption, illiteracy and other problems which were being faced by the country today."

He said people must use their ballots for changing the fate of the country by ousting Congress from power at the Centre, thereby paving way for formation of NDA government.

Later talking to reporters, Badal alleged that "faulty" policies of the Union government were responsible for growth of Naxalism in the country.

Terming Congress as a "spent force", the Chief Minister said the crushing defeat of the party in the recently held polls of Zila Parishad and Block Samitis in Punjab reflected that the people in the state have no faith in its policies and programmes.

He also blamed the Centre for its alleged failure to check the smuggling of drugs from across the borders.

On the possibility of Shiromani Akali Dal fielding its candidates for the LS polls outside the state with its alliance partner the BJP, he said SAD would discuss the issue with its ally.